Chapter 9
Every day, on the way to work, I, like most people, pass through intersection after intersection. Some are normal. Some are confusing. Some make you question your entire life’s direction. And at each one, you’ve got choices: Left? Right? Straight ahead? Do I turn around and go back home because I forgot my coffee?
That’s the picture Proverbs 9 gives us; not about traffic, but about life. This chapter sets up a dramatic scene: two houses, two hostesses, and two very different invitations.
On one side, you have Lady Wisdom. She’s prepared a full banquet: meat, wine, a solid table. No gimmicks. She’s calling out from the highest point in town, inviting anyone willing to grow, learn, and live.
On the other side, there’s Lady Folly. She’s loud, flashy, and full of empty promises. Her invitation sounds exciting, a little rebellious, maybe even fun, but the text doesn’t sugarcoat the outcome: “Her guests are in the depths of the grave.” (v.18)
So you’ve got two voices, two paths, one decision: Which way are you going to go? And right in the middle we get a reality check (verses 7–9).
It’s as if the chapter pauses and says: “Before you pick your path, let’s talk about how you respond when someone tries to help you choose wisely.” Because here’s the deal: A mocker hates correction. A wise person? They welcome it and they grow from it.
That’s huge. It means your response to correction is like your spiritual GPS. It reveals which road you’re already on. If every challenge or critique makes you defensive or angry… If you can’t be taught or told anything… That’s a flashing sign: “Wrong way — turn back now!”
But if you’re the kind of person who can receive correction, even if it stings a little, and actually grow from it, Proverbs says: You’re on the road to wisdom, and life.
So Proverbs 9 isn’t just about which path you choose; it’s also about who you’re becoming. Are you teachable or unteachable? Do you want wisdom, or just validation? Do you want to grow, or just be right?
Wisdom is calling out, not hiding, not playing hard to get. She’s offering life, direction, and depth.
Folly is calling too, louder, flashier, but empty.
Every day, every choice, every conversation is an intersection. And verses 7–9 help us read the signs. So next time you find yourself at a crossroads, big or small, remember: There’s always a right path and a wrong one. Wisdom is calling. And how you handle correction may tell you which path you’re already on.
Jesus often talked about life with God like being invited to a big dinner party, not just a nice event, but a chance for real life, real joy, and real purpose. Saying “yes” to Him means choosing the table where you’ll find peace, wisdom, and the kind of life that actually fills you up.
Invitations of Wisdom and Folly
1 Wisdom has built her house; she has set up its seven pillars. 2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. 3 She has sent out her servants, and she calls from the highest point of the city, 4 “Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says, 5 “Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. 6 Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of insight.”
7 Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse. 8 Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you. 9 Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 11 For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. 12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.
13 Folly is an unruly woman; she is simple and knows nothing. 14 She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, 15 calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way, 16 “Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says, 17 “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!” 18 But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.
